Dear friends, some time ago...I followed the rabbit hole. Others discussed the pro and cons of analogue controllers and I confess that I never knew that there were such differences between the performances. I was hooked and wanted to understand the differences between them and how different transformers had different ways of dealing with power and voltage, thus affecting performance.

Despite it's high cost, I took the plunge and purchased the Model Q from Gaugemaster in the UK and they customised/limited it to 9 volts for our scale.

It arrived a couple of weeks ago and I spent a bit of time studying it, comparing it to Marklin and setting it up for my layout. The result is this review which I hope you find useful which I've uploaded to Youtube.

PLEASE VISIT -

https://youtu.be/ninjxUObS34

For those of you who are eager to find out what I think well...
obviously it's a very nice transformer in my opinion. Very solidly built and very heavy. Some people may laugh and say it belongs to the 60s and they're probably right - but to me I like it's classic look.

It works well powering all the locomotives I've tried and seems to need only to go up to between 30 - 50 to get power for most of them.
Running my locomotives have been good, but not without issues. Locomotives which have problems (dirty brushes, old motors) show these problems as well - it isn't magic.
But on decently behaving locomotives, you can achieve nice, smooth running. I think the key word for me in the review is less "slow speed" and more smooth.

I don't find the Marklin transformers that bad in slow speed. They just seem to jerk from zero to slow-moving..so that gives the impression that the locomotive stutters. The Model Q has the ability to be a little more smoother so the effect is nice. Another thing I noticed (and hard to document) is that my locomotives stall less on all of my Rokuhan turnouts. Again, maybe it's just coincidence but I'd like to think that it's due to more consistent power throughout that allows the locomotives to continue movement - instead of the traditional way of having to increase power whenever you go over a turnout.

I ran a 30 cm test on some of my locomotives and this is the result:

88692 Am 847 - 20.52 sec
88443 Re 460 (3 pole) - 9.66 sec
81419 4-6-0 - 17.50 sec
88290 - Gt 2x4/4 Mallet - 2,03.92 sec

As you can see, the Mallet really destroyed the field running over 2 mins! It probably could have gone even slower, had I more patience!

On the whole I hope you find this post and my Youtube review helpful! I'm certainly trying to be help all of our gang here!
Thanks and have a good weekend

Gavin

Hi Gavin,

Thanks very much for the review and the very nice video.

One of the differences between the Gaugemaster and Marklin controllers is that the Gaugemaster uses a potentiometer to set the output voltage so it is infinitely and smoothly variable. The Marklin, on the other hand, uses as series of resistors which are switched in and out of circuit, so the output voltages available are at a (fairly small) number of discrete levels. Which model is your Marklin transformer? I have one of the newer units with separate power supply and this gives quite poor slow speed control as a result of its output being quite pure DC which, perversely, is poor for slow speed control!

I too have gone down a different rabbit hole building my own clone of the Gaugemaster "P" controller for my own console. This gives considerably better slow speed control in comparison to the previous "pure DC" (based on the Marklin design but with infinitely variable output) controllers previously installed.

I have learned that this is a huge subject and sometimes an apparently less sophisticated design can give superior performance. The Gaugemaster circuit is extremely simple and elegant - somewhat reminiscent of 1960s/70s audio circuits!

Most importantly, though, I'm glad that you're happy with your purchase and that it is working well for you.

All the best


Chris

Hi Chris,

After reading this great review by zoooctan, it confirmed a hunch I had that Marklin might not be using a potentiometer in these late model Z scale transformers.

I'm not an electronics expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have a bit of experience successfully incorporating a potentiometer into a DIY LED lighting array project. Which lead me to wondering if a simple and inexpensive solution to the slow-speed smoothness issue might be to add a potentiometer in between the Marklin transformer power outputs and the leads to the track. Basically, set the Marklin transformer to say 50% (or whatever would be needed for a maximum locomotive speed) and then use the potentiometer to finely control the locomotive's speed.

Do you see any potential issues with this idea?


Thanks,

Ralph.

Hi,

As the other Chris has commented, I'm afraid this isn't really going to work. Potentiometers are essentially voltage dividing devices and if you also need current it all goes to pot (haha!).

The way Marklin's controller is designed it gives forward and reverse control on clockwise/anticlockwise rotation of the dial. This then presents other limitations - such as the fine-ness of speed control, at least if you're trying to make the unit relatively economical to manufacture. The Gaugemaster controllers offer pretty precise speed control, but forward and reverse is set my a simple switch, and it is possible to instantaneously switch between full speed forward and full speed reverse - something you can't do with the Marklin controller.

It would certainly be possible to modify a Marklin controller to give fine control, but that would entail modifying the controller itself - I don't think it's something you could add externally, so it does become a somewhat destructive modification.

I'm very happy to share what I have learned on this subject, but if you want to do it yourself, you'll probably have to be comfortable using a soldering iron.

Cheers


Chris

Hi Chris,

Thanks, I'm learning a lot from both of you 'Chris' chaps

I have what I believe are two of the newer Marklin Z controllers (a wall wart plugs directly into the wall and I bought them new~3 years ago). My layout is Era1/Era2 steam only, so smooth slow speed operation would be particularly desirable.

From what I understand Gaugemater doesn't manufacture for the 110V USA, so that is not an option.

I have a micro-soldering iron that I have familiarity with (soldered all my track sections, other than the turnouts and a few electronic repairs to various circuit boards, too). I'd love to hear what you found necessary to make this work to see if it's something I'm comfortable tackling as a DIY.


Thanks,

Ralph.

Hi, Honestly, I know nothing about this but . . .

What kind of damage could you expect to encounter if an electronic controller designed for 230v, 50 cycles was plugged into an electrical socket delivering 120 v 60 cycles. (with a cord adapter)

Seems it is built to handle much more than this lower voltage could deliver.

Would the device not work?

I recently purchased a sign from the EU, and with it came a small cord transformer. Perhaps similar to the cords provided with the newer Marklin controllers. I was told the device was designed for the EU, but when it was plugged in, it worked, no problem.

I don't know but seems this Guagemaster controller would work also, but I am by no means an expert.

Dwight

But I like to occasionally run trains at hyper-sonic speeds ;)

All kidding aside, I had thought about this too, but the post I had read seemed to advise against it.

The only reasons that I can think of would be lack of Gaugemaster support and voltage converter conversion efficiencies of somewhere between 70-90% (not really an issue unless one runs many trains very frequently).

Ralph.

A further thought on using Gaugemaster controllers outside UK and Europe: they state that their products must be earthed. Surprising since Meccano Ltd did away with that necessity for their Hornby Dublo transformers and controllers 60 years ago by double insulating them.
Nevertheless GM must have a reason, I am unfamiliar with US style plugs and sockets - do they have provision for earthing? Grounding I think it is called in North America.
The UK standard plugs have three pins one of which is earth/ground and the European Schuko ones have two pins and two earth contacts. When I was in Taiwan I know that their 110v outlets which supposedly were similar to US ones had no provision for earthing.
ChrisG